Even Angels Have Their Demons
by snarkysweetness
Summary: In which Skye has an emotional breakdown after the events of season one and May takes care of her littlest duckling.


**Title:** Even Angels Have Their Demons  
><strong>Author:<strong> snarkysweetness  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG-13  
><strong>Characters:<strong> Skye & May with mentions of Skyeward  
><strong>Summary:<strong> In which Skye has an emotional breakdown after the events of season one and May takes care of her littlest duckling.  
><strong>Warnings:<strong> Angst.  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I own nothing.  
><strong>Author's Notes: <strong>I'm not even sorry, not even a little.

"Skye, you need to-"

"Don't," Skye whispered, seething. She did not need to be told to 'calm down'. She wanted to…scream, throw things, hit something; anything to keep from feeling _this_.

May reached for her but Skye stormed towards the hangar, needing to be far away from all of this. "I need to be alone," she called back, knowing she'd follow her. She didn't bother to look back, knowing May would give her space if she asked for it.

She went straight for the punching bag, needing to let out her rage. But each punch, each jab, every move only reminded her of _him_ and her rage only grew until it boiled over.

Skye wasn't sure what did it for her; seeing Fitz's broken, unconscious body, watching as a sobbing Jemma cried over him while she prattled on about all of the things he would suffer _if_ he survived his coma, or the painful, sinking realization that the man she loved really was a monster but she was angrier than she'd ever been in her entire life.

One minute she was punching the bag until her knuckles broke open and the next she was in his bunk, gathering every single thing he owned and throwing it into a duffle bag while seeing red through her angry tears.

She doesn't remember turning the kitchen upside down looking for matches or throwing everything into a trashcan but she remembers watching it burn and the pain that followed.

"No, no, no," she whispered in agony the moment she realized this was it, there was nothing left of him. She'd…_erased_ him. As if she could ever really erase him. He'd stained her; seeped into every pore. He would forever live in her heart, on her lips, and in her mind.

And now she didn't even have a t-shirt to remember him by.

What had she done?

Skye fell to the ground and cried hard, pressing her knees to her chest the way she had back in the orphanage when the pain of being unwanted got to be too much. How could he have done this to her? How had she been so wrong about him? Why did she still love him so much when all she wanted to do was hate him?

She froze in a mixture of fear and surprise when two strong arms wrapped around her until she smelled May's familiar body spray and relaxed. Deep down she knew May wasn't her mother and that she wasn't the overly-emotional type but it didn't stop Skye from turning and burying her face in her chest while sobbing harder. She could pretend for just a minute that this was her mom helping her get over a broken heart; the only person it would hurt was herself.

To her surprise May pulled her closer and ran one hand through her head while rocking her gently. "You can let it out, I'm right here." Skye didn't know why but that only made her cry more.

She isn't sure how long they sit there but by the time she relaxes her body feels ready to give in on her. She knows she's nowhere near done crying over him but for now she's out of tears and she's too exhausted to do anything but continue to stay pressed against May, snuffling every few moments.

"Come, you need tea."

Skye didn't even argue May's logic; she just followed her numbly into the kitchen. If May was upset about the open drawers, the contents on the floor, and the sheer amount of mess she didn't let on. She just quietly moved around the kitchen, cleaning up as she went and prepared a kettle of tea.

After a few minutes May disappeared, leaving Skye to stare down at her knuckles which were now caked in dried blood.

"Here, let me see." Skye hadn't even heard her return but she glanced up to watch May's normally stoic face now etched with concern as she disinfected her wounds. May finished wrapping her fingers as the kettle began to scream. She stood and motioned to the end of the table as reached for the kettle. "I found that in the laundry, thought you might want it."

Skye blinked in confusion and turned to find an old, grey S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy sweater lying there. Her heart stopped for a moment before she greedily reached for it. She held it against her chest and inhaled before nearly bursting back into tears.

It was _his_ and it still smelled like him and it was _something_.

"Thank you," she whispered. She didn't know how May knew but she was grateful.

May gave her a small smile and slid a mug in front of her. "Drink, then go to bed. I'll clean this up." Skye wanted to argue but she was exhausted.

She sipped at her tea, finding it was helping a little. She didn't feel so cold now and she wasn't shaking anymore and it gave her the energy to get up, give May a surprise hug (which she froze at before giving Skye's arm a small pat) and head to her bunk.

Skye threw Grant's sweater on and wrapped her arms around herself, letting the smell of his cologne lull her to sleep.

She woke hours later, feeling weary from her crying hangover, to May wrapped around her protectively, like a mother cat. Skye found she was smiling for the first time in days and ignored her need to sit up and stretch. Instead she burrowed further into May's overprotective embrace and closed her eyes, taking comfort in the fact that someone loved her enough to take care of it. It wasn't the same as having her mom back but it was the next best thing.


End file.
